Abstract

The self-narrated position of the provincial press in the Second Word War is that newspapers were steadfast friends to the communities they sought to serve. Their stated role was to maintain publication in the face of adversity, providing simultaneously a vital flow of information and some semblance of normality; this role was never more important than in the wake of major destruction wrought by enemy bombs. However, a qualitative analysis of coverage of the Blitzes in Coventry 1940 and the Liverpool in 1941 suggests that the construction of events in line with the ‘Blitz Sprit’ by local titles was at odds with the experience of people on the ground. As such it leads us to suggest that the result was to undermine long-term confidence in the ability of the press to reflect reality.